8th Grade Trip to Paul's Place‏ (from Mr. Fletcher)

GMS Community:

            I want to report back on our trip to Paul’s Place with our Eighth Grade. It was very successful. It was a success to a great extent because of the gifts that you so graciously donated. We stuffed the two cars we had designated for donation and still had more gifts, so we had to put them into other cars. It was so wonderful and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You should have seen the people at Paul’s Place when donations kept coming out of our vehicles. Because of your kind donations, you all have made the lives of a lot of folks who need help a bit easier. The staff at Paul’s Place would like to thank all of you for your generous giving especially in this time of need as the weather gets colder. They said that we must come from a “blessed community”. I told them that we do. I know I can always count on you when help is needed. This is one of the reasons I feel privileged to work here.

            Our students were amazing. We had students helping with job searches on computers, serving in the kitchen, and helping women and children pick out clothes. The stories they came back with were very touching. You would have all been proud of them. I know that I was. The staff at Paul’s Place always tells me that they look forward to our students serving because they all come with a positive attitude and are willing to do whatever is asked of them. They treat everyone with kindness which is why they fit in so well with the philosophy of Paul’s Place.

            Again thanks to all of you for making our serving a huge success on many levels.

Peace,

Mr. Fletcher

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (December 12, 2011)

Greetings GreenMount Community,

            At today’s Monday Morning Meeting, I asked the students to evaluate the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. We first had a quiz about how many reindeer there were (sorry, are), and then we took a look at the lyrics. We discussed how the reindeer violated our pillars! Indeed, they should be sent to Santa for behavior reflections because they were not “being aware of their impact on others,” “treating others appropriately,” “showing common courtesy,” or “being inclusive.” Who would have thought that the reindeer could be so mean? At the end of the discussion, one of our students pointed out that it all turned out because Rudolph became so famous. That led to a discussion of how people who have to overcome differences often do become leaders and famous people. Sometimes, the trials and tribulations of childhood and adolescence build character in people, and even reindeer. 

Since this is the last newsletter to you before the long holiday, I want to express to you my sincere hope that your holiday is filled with family, fun and friendship. Notice that I didn’t say anything about presents or gifts. Age has a way of helping one appreciate the things in life that truly matter and I certainly have had plenty of time to develop that appreciation. Like most families, ours has had its share of heartache and a healthy dose of good fortune. This year, distance and growing family commitments of children will leave my wife and me by ourselves for the first time on Christmas morning. As we discussed this fact, we quickly realized that we are fortunate that our children have found their partners in life, and while some still struggle, they are happy. We’ll see some of them later in the day and others later in the week. Nonetheless, it’s hard to let go of years of a tradition that in hindsight was much more important than presents. The blessing of family and friends is priceless and cannot be purchased at Wal-Mart, Target or even Nordstrom.

So, treasure the true gifts that you have - your friends, family members and your children. Have a wonderful holiday and fill it with lasting memories. I remember eating Christmas dinner and watching the tree slowly fall over onto the living room floor. My wife simply said, “Pass the potatoes,” and we all laughed. Lesson learned: If you put a tree in the corner and put all the ornaments on the outside, gravity will do its thing. Simple physics.

"During holidays, leisure replaces work as a priority. You are filled with the enthusiasm to explore, travel and learn. So indulge in laziness. Spend time with your loved ones and let your heart dance.”  Roger Bannister

Cheers!

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (December 5, 2011)

Greetings GreenMount Community,

            Today, at our Monday Morning Meeting, we discussed homelessness and the fact that more than 4,000 men, women and children will be homeless this holiday season.  We asked the students to imagine what it must be like to have no place to sleep, have little food and certainly none of the things that we use to enjoy life.  We pointed to all of the things left in our lost and found, which were laid out and literally filled the stage steps.  I spoke of how fortunate we all are to have so many things in addition to the basic needs, like the coats, sweaters and shirts that they have left for our lost and found.  The point of this discussion was not to make our students feel guilty about all they have, but to help them realize how you have worked hard to provide your families with the comforts and enjoyment that life has to offer and that they need to be more responsible with the things that they possess.

            In asking the students to imagine what it must be like to be homeless, I realized that it must be hard for them to actually do that without some frame of reference or experience.  I asked the students to close their eyes and imagine a polar bear.  When asked to raise their hands if they could see a polar bear, they all did so.  They know what a polar bear looks like.  Then I asked them to keep their eyes closed and imagine the polar bear wearing a green dress, roller skates and sunglasses.  Immediately, they began to laugh at the sight they had created in their minds.  Then, with their eyes open again, I asked the students to tell me why they could imagine the polar bear with a dress, roller skates and sunglasses.  They seemed unsure, so I helped them by pointing out that they could imagine this because I asked them to picture familiar things.  Our imaginations can pull together any combination of things that we know to create any number of images or scenarios.  We discovered that we cannot imagine homelessness unless we had some experience with it.  It’s not part of what we know.  Teachers asked the students to imagine some aspects of homelessness, like being cold, wet, hungry, sick, and afraid.  This they understood, and I believe that they came away with some sense of what homelessness must be like.

            On Wednesday, Mr. Fletcher’s 8^th grade students will be going to Paul’s Place to deliver the things that you and your families have generously donated.  If you have not done so yet, I encourage you to bring some of the items that were noted on the flier you received last week in order to lessen the pain of homelessness for the people our students will meet at Paul’s Place.  Our students have had some wonderful experiences as part of their service learning, and the 8^th graders especially are gaining some understanding and skills that they will take with them when they visit Costa Rica in the spring.  There they will also help families in a village with a project designed to make their life better.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." - Aesop

Cheers, 

Steve